“Michael Jordan, Don’t Make Me Take Away Everything You Earn”: When Ellen Cleghorne Threatened Future Billionaire Bulls Superstar on SNL

Basketball stars featuring on prime-time television shows and entertainment isn’t a rare occurrence. The most famous venture of a basketball player into the world of entertainment, however, featured the face of the sport. Michael Jordan with Space Jam was arguably the greatest collaboration between the two avenues. The 1996 movie took MJ’s popularity to an astronomical level and truly established him as the king of basketball.

The cool persona of Michael Jordan further endeared him to the world through the world of media entertainment. Air Jordan truly embraced the brand he was capable of delivering.

With his multitude of endorsements and new image, Jordan reached billionaire status in 2016. With this, MJ became the first billionaire from the world of start and added sheen to an already glorious career.

Generally, not one to appear shy in front of the camera, Michael Jordan was the epitome of confidence. However, not in front of Ellen Cleghorne and the Saturday Night Live crew, it would appear.

Also Read: “Michael Jordan was way cooler than LeBron James in Space Jam”: Skip Bayless explains why Space Jam 2 isn’t nearly as entertaining as its prequel

How did the Saturday Night Live crew get Michael Jordan shy on camera?

The young heartthrob of the basketball community, Michael Jordan, was Mr. Desirable in a lot of circles. And Saturday Night Live aimed to mock this fact with the help of Ellen Cleghorne ironically.

The SNL cast member engaged in an exchange with His Airness, which fluctuated quickly from harmless flirting to a threat to sue. And Michael Jordan definitely didn’t look comfortable at all for the first time on camera.

Ellen got all handsy with MJ and forced the man to swipe her away, which in turn, the actress cast as a ruse to get grounds for a threat to sue.

SNL clearly was taking a dig at how every celebrity lives in fear of suits and how people often throw themselves at celebrities. Their message was clearly conveyed, albeit featuring a shy Michael Jordan.

“Aye Michael Jordan, don’t make me take away everything you earn!” exclaimed Cleghorne as she delivered her punchline. Maybe too much money is a problem?

How did MJ become sports’ first billionaire?

Although Michael Jordan was quite a successful athlete, his earnings from his career salaries were only a fraction of his total wealth. Only $90 million of his $1.7 billion came from the contracts he signed over his illustrious basketball career.

Gatorade with “Be Like Mike” and Nike with the “Air Jordans” sold Jordan the individual to the world. Having originally signed with Nike for a mere $500,000, the popularity of the Jordan brand grew exponentially. As of today, that deal is touted to be worth around $1.3 billion. A staggering figure indeed.

Further, Jordan earned around $1.4 million a year starting in 1991, thanks to his Gatorade endorsements. Smart investments followed too, with Draftkings, the Charlotte Hornets, and a NASCAR team a part of MJ’s portfolio.

The GOAT was racking up numbers on his balance sheet too, evidently.

Also Read: Michael Jordan was banking on Space Jam’s $250 million revenue while making bets in the movie itself!